Fate: Rider Phantom
by Rider Paladin
Summary: A/U, borrows elements of Ghost Rider: When Shinji Mato tempts Sakura Mato with the power to save her friend Rin Tosaka from certain death, it starts a domino effect that ultimately transforms Sakura into a vengeful Eirei.
1. Start of Darkness

"Fate/rider phantom"

Chapter 1: "Start of Darkness"

Disclaimer: Fate/stay night and associated characters and material belong to TYPE-MOON. The concept of Ghost Rider belongs to Marvel Comics. I make no money whatsoever from this story.

Author's note: After seeing an AMV set to the Ghost Rider movie trailer starring Sakura as Johnny Blaze and Rider as the titular Ghost Rider, I was inspired to make an actual story out of it. This is not quite a crossover, but more like a fusion . . . with the characters of one fictional series taking on roles akin to characters of another fictional series. And, Rider/Sakura is a somewhat popular yuri pairing, thus begging the question, "What if they were one person?" But enough blabbering from me; I'm going to do this story and it's gonna be good, I hope.

_

* * *

_

There are more things, in heaven, in hell, and on Earth, than most human beings could possibly dream of. When it comes to hell, even the most warped human being couldn't imagine what sorts of horrors come crawling from there. Even the most warped human couldn't imagine that hell . . . just might be on Earth. Even the more cynical and bitter humans who tend to say that couldn't imagine just how right they are. If they only knew . . .

* * *

A dark-haired girl coughed hard.

"Rin?" the plum-haired girl next to her asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, Sakura," Rin replied, smiling. "I'm ok. Don't worry about me."

"Ok . . ." Sakura murmured, still not convinced. If Rin didn't want her pushing it, though, she wouldn't.

"Let's just enjoy our lunch," Rin suggested.

* * *

After school, Sakura found herself at the home of her best friend Shiro, who was just calmly preparing for dinner. "Would you like me to help you?" she asked him.

"I don't . . ." Shiro started to say, only to cut himself off with a sigh. "It's all right. You can help if you want to."

As Sakura and Shiro prepared dinner, the former turned to the latter and asked, "How is Rin doing?"

"What do you mean?" Shiro asked.

"She coughs a lot, and she's gotten paler," Sakura explained.

"I'm sure she just came down with a bug," Shiro replied. "She'll be all right soon. I hope."

"So do I," Sakura whispered.

* * *

When Sakura returned to her home, she found her older brother Shinji waiting for her with a cold countenance. "Where were you?" he asked.

"With Shiro," Sakura replied quietly.

"And what were the two of you doing?" Shinji further inquired.

"I was just helping him cook," Sakura answered.

"'Cook,' huh? That the popular terminology these days?" Shinji's countenance had shifted from cold to downright cruel. "I don't see why you waste your time with him. He's too naïve to really notice your efforts. I doubt he's aware what girls really exist for, anyway."

"Shiro is a nice person. That's why I like him."

"Newsflash, Sakura: Nice people are just people who either don't know what they want or are too cowardly to act on what they want." Shinji had a malevolent smile on his face.

"I'm happy with what I have."

"So you say. So you say. But what if you could have more? Wouldn't you take it?"

"I'm not like you, Shinji. I don't have this incessant hunger like you do."

"I know what you want. More than Shiro's love, you want Rin to be happy. What if I could make her happy?"

Sakura looked at Shinji suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"She's sick, Sakura," Shinji explained, his tone suddenly deep with concern. "Very sick. She isn't long for this world. I've been trying to figure out a way to save her, but I've had no luck. You can help me."

"How? How can I help you?"

"I'll show you." Shinji allowed himself a slight smile, far more benevolent than the malice he had shown before. "Come with me."

Sakura followed Shinji to his room. Once inside, Shinji reached under his bed and pulled out a thick tome. "What is that?" Sakura asked.

"Book of Shadows." Shinji smirked. "I've been practicing magic, but the effects I've been able to invoke have been mediocre at best and piddling at worst. With your help, though, I can do far better."

"Why do you need me?" Sakura wondered.

"Your purity," Shinji replied. "The powers I'm about to invoke to save Rin's life require someone with a pure heart, and I don't have that."

"You . . . need me?" Sakura uttered, shocked by what Shinji had told her. Her older brother, callous and uncaring and utterly selfish, needed _her?_

"Yes, Sakura." Shinji gently took her hands. "I need you. And Rin needs you."

Sakura nodded. "I'll help you, Shinji. I'll help you."

* * *

After their grandfather had gone to sleep, Shinji woke Sakura up. "It's time," he whispered.

The Matou siblings went to Shinji's room, where Shinji had drawn an eight-pointed star within a circle on the floor, hidden by a rug that was no longer there. He sat on one end and silently instructed Sakura to sit on the opposite end. "How do we do this?" she wondered.

"Just leave it to me, Sakura," Shinji replied. "Leave it to me. I'll let you know when your part comes in."

Shinji flipped through the Book of Shadows until he landed on a specific page. Once there, he began to chant in a language that Sakura didn't recognize as either Japanese or English. It scared her, but she stayed still, determined not to flee and sacrifice this chance she had to save Rin. She held fast, even as Shinji's chanting grew louder and his voice turned deeper. Then, Shinji opened his eyes . . . and they were glowing a fiery crimson.

"Shinji?" Sakura uttered.

"I need your blood," Shinji spoke, his voice deep. "Your blood, the blood of a virgin, will complete this ritual. It will allow us to tap into the power that can save Rin."

Sakura extended her hand to Shinji, who pulled out a knife and cut the palm of her hand. Her blood leaked out of the wound and Shinji gently smeared it onto the fingertips of his secondary hand. He cut his bloodstained hand, mixing his blood with Sakura's, and slammed his hand onto the center of the star. He resumed chanting, his voice increasingly deeper, lower, and raspier. Upon the end of the chant, his eyes stopped glowing red and started glowing a fiery gold. The eight-pointed star glowed as well, generating an energy field that paralyzed Sakura.

"Shinji! What are you doing?!" Sakura asked, finally frightened beyond self-control.

"We have reached them," Shinji answered. "We only need to finalize the connection."

"SHINJI!" Sakura cried out, feeling the center of her forehead burn as though she had been touched by a lit match. Unbeknownst to her, a crimson symbol was materializing on her forehead and her plum eyes were turning white as snow.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. The energy field dissipated, allowing Sakura to move once again, and the burning had stopped. When she dared look at Shinji, his eyes were blue again, instead of red or gold. Despite panting from exhaustion, she managed the strength to ask, "Did it work?"

"Yes . . ." Shinji hissed. "Go to bed now, Sakura. Sleep well. When you see Rin again, she will be healthy."

When morning came, Sakura wondered if everything that had just transpired that night wasn't just some odd dream. After all, magic didn't really exist . . . and Shinji wasn't some demonic sorcerer. It was utterly impossible. The only thing that prevented her from dismissing it entirely was the fear of what might happen to Rin if she was as sick as Shinji had claimed. For that alone, she hoped last night wasn't just some dream, no matter how much it might have comforted her to think that.

* * *

At school, Sakura ran into Rin. "How are you feeling, Rin?"

"Better than I have in a long time," Rin admitted with a smile. "I don't know, but I feel like I could take on the entire soccer team and win."

"Wow . . ." Sakura uttered. _Maybe it worked, after all. Maybe I wasn't dreaming._

When lunchtime came around, Sakura found Shiro. "Hi, Shiro."

"Hey, Sakura," Shiro answered amiably. "How are you?"

"Much better."

"Tohsaka ok?"

"Yeah, she's feeling much better."

Shiro sighed in relief. "I knew it wasn't that serious. I was worried, but . . . thank God."

"Yeah," Sakura sighed. _Or thank Shinji and I._

"Wanna come over to my house after school?" Shiro asked. "You and I could . . . cook together."

"Sure," Sakura replied. "I'd like that."

While she was helping Shiro cook and clean around his house, Shiro got a look at her bandaged hand. "What happened to your hand?" he wondered.

"I cut it," Sakura answered.

"On what?" Shiro wondered.

"It's . . . it's embarrassing," Sakura lied, blushing.

"Oh, ok," Shiro said. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

* * *

After her chores were over with, Sakura returned home, only to find a grimfaced Shinji. "Shinji? What's wrong?"

"Bad news," Shinji replied. "It's . . . about Rin."

"Is she all right?" Sakura's demeanor was full of dismay. _No . . . it can't . . . not after what I . . . what we . . ._

Shinji gently guided her into the house, where their grandfather was watching television. "Shame about that girl," he was muttering. "She was so pretty . . . smart, too . . . had her whole life ahead of her . . ."

"Who are you talking about, Grandpa?" Sakura asked, trembling.

"Girl named Rin Tohsaka," the Matou patriarch replied offhandedly. "She went to your school, you know. Shinji was crazy about her."

"Rin . . ." Sakura uttered, on the verge of tears. "How . . . what happened?"

"Hit-and-run," Zoken Matou answered. "Some bastard . . . just ran her over and then drove off . . ."

Sakura couldn't bear to hear anymore; she ran to her room, crying. "It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair . . ." She buried her face in her pillow, muffling her cries. So consumed she was by anguish that she almost didn't notice Shinji sitting on her bed and gently stroking her hair.

"It's going to be ok, Sakura . . ." he whispered. "It'll be ok . . . you still have me . . ."

"Shinji . . . what went wrong?" Sakura wondered. "How come we couldn't save Rin?"

"Nothing went wrong," Shinji replied. "We saved her from the cancer. Unfortunately, the Fates were still determined to cut her life string. If it wasn't the cancer, they would have found another way. It's just the way things have to be."

"It's not fair!" Sakura protested. "Rin was a good person! Why would the Fates end her life so soon?"

"'Only the good die young.'" A dark smile formed on Shinji's face.

"What does that say about us?" Sakura dared to look at Shinji . . . and saw something indescribably _hard_ in his eyes.

"It says that we will live for a long time." Shinji's voice was a cold monotone.

"S-Shinji?"

"The heavens did this. They took Rin from you, from me, from everyone that loved her. They will pay . . . and you will help me."

"How . . . how can I help you?"

"Your blood is mixed with mine. We are bound, now and forever, to each other. When the time comes, vengeance will be ours . . . and you will be the one that claims it."

"Yes," Sakura murmured.

"Swear to me, Sakura, swear that you will be loyal to me above all others and vengeance will be yours," Shinji whispered passionately.

"I swear, Shinji . . ."

"Good." Shinji touched her forehead, and she felt once more the burning sensation she had experienced last night. Her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain, but with rage burning in her heart, as her eyes turned white and the strange crimson symbol formed on her forehead once again. Before Sakura passed out from the pain, she heard a strange voice whisper in her mind.

_You're mine, Sakura Matou, now and forever._

* * *

End Notes: Time to end it here. I would make the chapter longer, as I am normally wont to do, but I've been advised that such would be a bad idea. Ergo, the material that would have been in this first chapter will be diverted into the chapter following this one. For those of you who have seen Ghost Rider or have any awareness of the basic history of the comic version, you certainly know what's coming. For those of you who have no awareness of Ghost Rider but know Fate/stay night (particularly Heaven's Feel), you might have some idea of what's coming, too. Anyway, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed.


	2. Ride or Die

"Fate/rider phantom"

Chapter 2: "Ride or Die"

Disclaimer: Fate/stay night and all associated characters are the property of Kinoku Nasu and TYPE-MOON. Ghost Rider, the concept and the associated characters, is the property of Marvel Comics. I make no money whatsoever from this story.

Author's note: Now that the contract has been made, it is time for Sakura to become an epic spirit of vengeance. Just what will Shinji compel her to do in the name of his ambitions, and what is his true purpose? What enemies will rise to challenge Sakura and Shinji, and will Sakura survive those challenges? For the answers to those questions and others, you'll just have to read on.

* * *

One year later, Shinji Matou stared down Zoken Matou, his normally blue eyes a frozen golden color. "You've done well, Grandfather."

"Thank you, Lord Shinji," Zoken replied humbly. "Are the worms still functioning?"

"Yes. They've turned Sakura into the perfect breeding ground for my perfect Servant."

Zoken smirked. "I am pleased, my Lord. But I must caution you, I sense challengers on the horizon and in your current state you will be destroyed by them."

"I know that already, _old man,_" Shinji sneered. "That's why I have Sakura. Through her, I will regain my station and I will obliterate all who challenge me."

"Is she ready yet?"

"She will be. She has been most willing to learn – and to obey – this past year, and she will continue as such . . ."

"As long as she does not discover the truth of Rin's demise," Zoken added.

"Even if she does, she is bound to me," Shinji averred. "She cannot rebel against me, and she does not even have the will to make the attempt. Not anymore, and the fringe benefits aren't so bad, either."

* * *

Meanwhile, a seemingly young girl in a purple winter coat and white scarf, complimenting her pale skin and platinum-blonde hair, casually sauntered into a delinquent bar. Accompanying her was a large, muscular shirtless man whose eyes glimmered with a frenzied energy akin to madness. The girl looked around, her red eyes narrowing with irritation as they searched the bar.

"Where is she?" she mumbled.

"Hey, little girl," a biker-leathered teenage boy sneered, swaggering over to her. "You lost?"

"I'm looking for someone," the girl answered.

"Maybe I can help," the boy taunted.

"I really doubt you could," the girl sneered.

"Oh, really?" The biker boy reached out to feel her hair, only for the girl to grab his hand.

"Did I say you could touch me?"

"Get off, brat!"

The girl chuckled, a sound that was more like a sadistic trill. "Berserker. Deal with him."

The giant beside her punched the biker boy across the bar, sending him flying over the counter and into the rows of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages behind it. "Holy shit!" another patron shouted.

"Get him!" a friend of the boy shouted, drawing his gun and shooting at Berserker. The bullets bounced off Berserker, but had the unfortunate side effect of ricocheting around the bar and taking out several unlucky bystanders. That didn't exactly stop those left from trying other tactics, such as knives or even yo-yos. Those, however, shattered on Berserker's skin, leaving their wielders helpless and unable to do anything to survive the carnage that soon followed.

"Beautiful . . ." the girl whispered, a dark light shining in her ruby eyes.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" another female voice, older and deeper, sneered.

The pale girl turned to stare down an older female, lavender-haired and dressed in violet and black. "Caster," the pale girl greeted.

"Blackheart," Caster replied. "Or am I supposed to call you Illyasviel von Einzberg now?"

"Just 'Ilya' is good," Ilya replied. "You're my friend, Caster. I'd like you to call me that."

Caster smirked. "You do realize you killed my toys, don't you?"

"I'll get you new ones," Ilya answered.

"Where's Assassin?"

"He'll come. He just has to . . . get himself properly prepared for the fight to come."

Caster eyed Ilya. "Do you think Mephistopheles will prove to be a problem?"

Ilya's eyes darkened with a malicious fury and she grabbed Caster by her throat in a demonstration of strength that surprised the elder woman. "_Don't . . ._ speak that name. Ever. If you so much as think it, Berserker will split you in two."

Caster looked down at Ilya, smirking despite her precarious position. "Poor little Blackheart. Still scared of your daddy."

Ilya let Caster go, her face twisting into a demonic snarl before reverting to its classical angelic beauty. "Berserker, Caster. We're finished here. Time to find Assassin." She turned on her heel and walked out of the bar, Berserker and Caster following.

* * *

Shiro Emiya hadn't taken Rin Tohsaka's death that well. He knew Sakura had been heartbroken, too, but the last time he'd seen her had been at Rin's funeral. She'd been avoiding him ever since, although an encounter with Shinji had aroused Shiro's suspicions as to why. He still remembered what Shinji had said to him, that fateful day.

"_Keep away from my sister, Emiya. If you know what's good for you."_

Shiro lay on his bed, musing about just what could have happened to change Sakura's feelings for him. He missed Sakura, missed her terribly. He supposed he'd always taken her presence for granted, and now that he didn't have the pleasure of her company anymore, he felt terribly lonely. He had a bad feeling about Shinji, though; something just didn't sit right with the auburn-haired boy when it came to the older dark-haired boy.

"Yen for your thoughts, Shiro?" the voice of his guardian Taiga asked.

"No thanks, Fuji," Shiro replied. "My thoughts aren't worth that much."

"You're thinking about Sakura again, aren't you?" Taiga surmised.

"It's no use," Shiro answered. "Shinji will never let me near her."

Shiro could hear Taiga's chuckle from the other side of the door. "Then maybe you need to find a way to get around Shinji."

_Like what?_ Shiro wondered grimly.

* * *

Back at the Matou residence, Shinji found Sakura in her room. "Come with me, Sakura. I have to show you something."

"Yes, brother," Sakura murmured emotionlessly. She rose from her bed and followed Shinji out of the house, allowing him to take her to the expansive garage. Inside the garage, aside from Shinji's car, was something covered by black tarp with strange runes inscribed on it. Shinji pulled the tarp off, revealing a black sport motorcycle. "Is this yours, Shinji?"

"No. It's yours, little sister."

"Mine?" Sakura was surprised.

"Yes. My gift to you. It will help you gain vengeance on those who took Rin from you. But first, there are some people that need to be taken care of."

"Who are they?"

Shinji smiled darkly. "They are my enemies. That is all you need to know."

Sakura examined the sport bike, feeling a rising urge to touch it, to feel it, to ride it. Despite the length of her skirt, she was able to straddle the bike by hiking up said skirt. As soon as she got on, she felt a strange force pulling her hands onto the bike's handlebars. "What's . . . what's happening?"

"The power in this bike is bound to the power within you," Shinji replied. "They are calling to each other, and you are the medium through which they will meet."

The motorcycle roared to life. "Shinji!"

"Go forth . . . and send our enemies to hell."

The motorcycle took off, carrying a helpless Sakura along with it. The bike roared down the streets of Fuyuki City, driven by the purpose Shinji had given it and accelerating ever faster. Sakura was just along for the ride, it seemed, but the purpose Shinji had given "her" bike burned in her blood, too. She held on to the handlebars as tightly as she could, her knuckles turning white with fear . . . and maybe excitement. She felt the power within her meeting the power within the bike and cycling inside her.

_This . . . feels . . . good . . ._ she thought, her mind nearly crazed by the thrill. _So good . . ._

Down one particular highway, a cop in a parked police vehicle had his radar gun pointed at the highway, on the alert for speeders. He chanced a look at his radar gun upon hearing its increasingly rapid and insistent beeps. To his shock, the radar gun was saying . . . _six hundred and sixteen kilometers an hour,_ and _rising._ "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself.

He was about to go after the speeder, when he got a good split-second look. It was a black sport motorcycle, with a plum-haired teenage girl sitting on it, looking simultaneously frightened and exhilarated. The unusual thing was that she was going so fast, it set off a shockwave that dragged his car a little bit before unceremoniously knocking it down to the ground on its side. Fortunately, he'd been wearing his seatbelt, and the airbag still worked fine. By the time he was able to get back on his feet, she was gone . . . but he remembered the last thing his radar gun (poor thing) had said: 999 km/h.

"What . . . what was that?" he wondered.

As Sakura continued her unwilling and potentially lethal ride, she felt the bike transforming around her. Its chassis became a massively armored _thing_ akin to a tank if tanks were built like motorcycles, and turned charcoal-silver and black. The bike's seat became an open cockpit, with Sakura's arms inside to reach the handlebars and her legs inside to control the acceleration of the vehicle. The exhaust pipes transformed and multiplied into five black jet thrusters, while the tire treads took on demonic patterns and hellish fire shone out of the headlights.

* * *

Just as suddenly as the bike had started, it stopped near train tracks, and Sakura fell out, her hair falling over her face. "My . . . my Lord . . . what is happening to me?" She felt the fire inside her, growing within her, threatening to consume her. The fire seemed to concentrate itself in the center of her forehead, as though she were being branded. Her eyes burned, too, as though she had just had something acidic poured into them.

Finally, Sakura let out a scream, as a runic circle formed above her and lowered itself around her, stripping her of her clothes and replacing them with a body-wide energy sheath. A strapless black mini-dress with purple trim formed on her body, while black arm-covers and thigh-high boots with purple bands around her thighs, upper arms, and wrists formed on her arms and legs. While her wardrobe was changing, her body was changing, too, growing taller and filling out in more "feminine" ways. Her hair grew longer as well, and paled from plum to lavender, while a purple armored visor covered her whitening eyes. Completing the transformation were a purple choker and two large metal nails connected by a very long chain.

"Ah, there you are," a voice remarked. "I was wondering if you'd ever show . . . Rider."

The transformed Sakura looked up at the source of the voice, finding a man with long dark hair staring down at her from a rooftop. He wore a red-accented black outfit, a one-piece full-body suit with cutouts for the shoulders and a half-cape wrapped around his waist. An extremely long sword – a nodachi, Sakura guessed – rested in his hand, the man behind that hand holding it with ease.

"You're going back to hell . . ." Rider purred, holding up one of her nails to lick it. ". . . and I'm going to send you there."

"Really?" the swordsman asked. "I don't think so."

In a single agile movement, he jumped down from the rooftop, and Rider found herself being attacked by multiple blades on all sides! "What?!"

"My technique," the swordsman clarified as Rider fell down. "Now, come on. Don't tell me that's all you have."

"It isn't . . ." Rider snarled, rising to her feet. "And if you think one fancy move is going to enable you to win, you're sorely mistaken."

"I'm glad to see you're so confident." The swordsman smiled maliciously. "I've been looking for a good fight for a while. You seem like you could give me that. So you'd better. Or I'll kill you, pretty little Rider."

Rider laughed, the sound sadistically melodious. "You know my name. What am I supposed to call you, 'Stupid Dead Man Walking'?"

"Assassin will do," the swordsman answered. "Let's go."

Rider threw her chain at Assassin, while Assassin lunged at her with his sword. "This is gonna be good," she purred.

* * *

End Notes: And so it begins. Sakura has become an epic spirit of vengeance, and is now set to take on Ilya/Blackheart and her hellish trinity. But will she find out that she is simply being used by Shinji? What is Shinji's real agenda for Sakura, and the world? What role, if any, will Shiro play in this hellish tragedy? For the answers to those questions and others, read on and let me know what you think, even if it's just to say how much you hated this story. Thanks.


	3. Prayer for Sinners

"Fate/rider phantom"

Chapter 3: "Prayer for Sinners"

Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of Kinoko Nasu and TYPE-MOON. Ghost Rider is the property of Marvel Comics. I do not have any stocks in Marvel or TYPE-MOON, and I am not Nasu, so I own neither Fate/stay night nor Ghost Rider. Furthermore, I make no money whatsoever from this story; it is simply a fun speculative piece for me to write.

Author's note: Rider is here! Assassin is here! Berserker is here! Caster is here! Ilya is here! Shinji is here! (Boo.) Shiro is here! And who else is going to show up in this hell-riding adventure? Will it be Lancer? Saber? Archer? Avenger? And if any of them show up, in what form will they emerge? But, enough of that; time to get on with the show!

* * *

Assassin flickered behind Rider and swung his katana, about to invoke his Noble Phantasm. Rider blocked his swing with one of the nails on her chain, using it to knock his katana out of his hands. The chain turned, encircling and tightening about Assassin's neck. Rider tugged her end of the chain, further tightening the end of the chain that wrapped around Assassin's neck. Assassin merely reached out to his katana, even though it was farther away than the length of his arm.

"Who is your Master?" Rider asked.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of kinky sex taunt?" Assassin asked sarcastically, despite the lack of oxygen in his lungs or whatever passed for lungs in his body.

Rider simply tightened the chain further. "If those are the kind of games that interest you, we can always play later. Right now, I want to know who your Master is."

"Who is _your_ Master?" Assassin retorted, just before telekinetically drawing his katana and throwing it at Rider's neck.

Rider unwrapped her chain from around Assassin's neck as she jumped back to evade his katana. Just as she thought she had successfully evaded it, she felt three near-simultaneous sword slashes. That could only mean one thing; Assassin had gotten back his katana and triggered his Noble Phantasm. Rider landed on her feet and hands, arched almost like a cat, and spun to face Assassin.

"This is going to be fun," she purred, licking one of her nails.

"Yes," Assassin agreed with a deadly smirk.

Suddenly, demonic ghouls began to crawl out of the dirt. Rider snarled. "Caster . . ."

"Caster!" Assassin yelled. "She's mine!"

"Don't be greedy, Assassin," Caster sneered from a high perch. "You've had your fun. Allow me to have mine."

Rider flipped into the air and lashed out with the nails on her chain, using them to brutally impale the ghouls. The chain whipped around, impaling multiple ghouls through their heads or their chests or some other part of their rotted bodies. At one point, the chain looped around one ghoul's neck and Rider grabbed both ends and twisted, tightening the loop so forcefully that the ghoul's head fell off. Rider moved like a deadly dancer, impaling and decapitating ghouls with brutal ease.

"Not bad," Assassin remarked. "You're quite impressive, Rider. Too bad you still have to die."

"Is it time?" the man beside Caster asked.

"Yes, Kuzuki," Caster replied. "_Reinforcement._ Do it, Kuzuki."

At that moment, Assassin and Kuzuki – a man in a black duster over a charcoal formal suit – moved to attack Rider simultaneously. Rider managed to dodge Assassin's katana, only to practically walk right into Kuzuki's punch, which sent her flying back. She managed to contort in midair and throw her chain out, the nail on its end aimed for Kuzuki's heart. Kuzuki blurred into momentary insubstantiality, reemerging to strike Rider with a knifehand chop, although Rider caught his wrist and stabbed him with the nail from the other end of her chain.

Kuzuki merely smirked at Rider and punched her with such force that she was unwillingly propelled down the wood path. Emerging behind her was Assassin, who unleashed his sword technique on her again. Rider twisted to kick Assassin and bounced off him, soaring backward and flipping to kick Kuzuki as well. She bounced off him and landed on her feet, taking back her chain and licking Kuzuki's blood off the nail with which she had stabbed him.

"You and I are a lot alike," Kuzuki observed.

"In what way?" Rider scoffed.

"We both thirst for blood," Kuzuki answered with a dark smirk.

Rider brandished her chain. "That so? Maybe . . . but don't think you're getting a taste of my blood." At that point, Assassin joined the two combatants, ready to fight alongside Kuzuki against Rider. She merely smirked at them. "Whenever you're ready, boys."

Assassin flickered at Rider, who caught his sword with her chain and pulled him into a knee impact to his stomach. Just as she managed to toss him aside, Kuzuki attacked her with a circular chop, striking her in the side of her neck. Rider fell to the ground, but rolled onto her feet and threw her chain out at Kuzuki, who merely let it wrap around his forearm and then tugged harshly. Rider flew into a kick aimed specifically at Kuzuki's wound, but Kuzuki seemed to shrug it off and throw her to the ground.

With the chain still linking Rider and Kuzuki, Kuzuki wrenched his arm, throwing Rider at a tree. However, Rider contorted around the tree and kicked Kuzuki from behind, flipping off him and completely reclaiming her chain. At that moment, Assassin had already moved to attack her, invoking his Noble Phantasm once again. Rider retaliated with a brutal palm thrust to Assassin's chest, nearly caving in his ribcage or whatever his physical structure had that passed for one.

"Who is your Master?" Rider interrogated.

"Why do you want to know?" Assassin asked sardonically.

Kuzuki had gotten up by then with a whiplash-like kick to Rider's stomach, hitting her in one of the wounds Assassin had left with his Noble Phantasm. As she staggered back, Kuzuki kicked her again, even harder this time, with enough force to knock her down. Rider simply rose to her feet, growling with fury.

"You . . . are _really_ trying my patience."

"And you ours," Kuzuki retorted. "Why don't you just die already?"

"Because I am an avenger," Rider snarled.

She lashed out with her chain at both Assassin and Kuzuki, who both dodged the nails on the ends of her chain. One nail found itself embedded inside a tree trunk, and the other nail was embedded in an opposite tree trunk. Rider swung herself up until she was in a handstand on the chain . . . and performed a scissor kick to Assassin and Kuzuki, who had thought to attack her from opposite sides. She pulled the nails out of the tree trunks and landed on her feet.

"I should ask, who is _your_ Master?" Kuzuki inquired.

"Why do you want to know?" Rider retorted, echoing Assassin's sardonic tone when he asked her that question. Suddenly, she spun into a roundhouse kick that impacted an attacking Assassin in whatever he had that passed for a kidney. Just as Kuzuki was about to attack, Rider spun on her heel and the heel of her outstretched leg struck him in his temple. She looked up at Caster's perch. "Why don't you come down here . . . and we can get to know each other a little better? Or better yet . . . I'll come to you!"

Rider leaped into the branches of a tree, bounding through the trees at high speed. Caster blocked Rider's attack with a spell barrier, which repelled Rider, who threw her nail out to catch a particularly thick branch. With the nail securing the branch, Rider used the attached chain to scale the tree, somersaulting into a kick to Caster that was unfortunately deflected by another shield. Rider back-flipped and kicked off another tree, swinging from her chain into a rising kick that caught Caster in the jaw. As Caster teetered, Rider somersaulted into a flying side kick that knocked her completely off the tree.

"Who is your Master?" Rider asked.

"I know who yours is," Caster hissed. "The Exile, the Banished Lord."

"No riddles," Rider spat. "Just die."

"You first," Caster answered. She invoked one of her abilities, Territory Creation, and the environment began to warp around her and Rider. When it finally became something tangible and definite, it resembled the inside of a temple. "This is my Territory."

Rider smirked. "Really?" She flickered behind Caster, only for Caster to block her attack by grabbing her wrist and throwing her into a wall. Rider simply twisted in midair and landed on the wall in a crouch. "Interesting. If you were really capable of that, why not just fight me from the start?"

Just as she sprang at Caster, Caster caught Rider by her wrists and threw her overhead, only for Rider to contort and land skidding on her feet. "_Reinforcement._"

Caster seemed to disappear from view, only to emerge behind Rider with a jagged dagger extended to stab her. Rider whirled to block the dagger, only for it to cut her hand. Withstanding the pain, she lashed with her chain to impale Caster on the nail at the end, which Caster blocked with the dagger she held. Despite being blocked, the nail struck with enough force to knock the dagger out of Caster's hand. Caster telekinetically called the dagger and threw it at Rider's chest, Rider herself barely able to dodge.

Out of the walls came marble ghouls, swarming around Rider. With a battle cry, Rider launched herself into the air, lashing out with the nails attached to her chain to pierce the ghouls. Despite that, all she accomplished was shattering their marble shells, freeing even more dangerous specters that circled Rider at high speed. Blood flowed as the specters formed their mass into invisible blades that slashed Rider again and again.

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Caster asked mockingly.

"I can . . . and I will . . ." Rider snarled, bloodied but not beaten. "Black Pegasus!" In response to her call, the demonic beast that was Rider's motorcycle emerged within Caster's Territory. Rider flipped into the cockpit of the massive battle motorcycle and revved the engine, a furious roar echoing through the Territory and the wheels flaring with a distinctly unholy glow. "Bellerophon!"

Golden energy ran through the battle bike, emanating in such a manner as to weaken the specters. She rode the motorcycle with such speed that the specters were all thrown off her and disintegrated, lunging off it to stab Caster with her chain stake. Despite that, Caster might have had the last laugh, as a moment after Rider felt her stake pierce Caster, she felt something pierce her. She looked down and saw that it was Caster's strange iridescent dagger that had stabbed her.

Rider pulled herself off Caster, both of them pulling their weapons out of their unwilling scabbards in each other's bodies as the Territory dissolved. "I win . . ." She got on the Black Pegasus and rode away.

"So you think," Caster murmured, too weakened by the destruction of her Territory to do anything but watch Rider retreat. "So you think."

* * *

Elsewhere within Fuyuki City, Shinji stood on top of a skyscraper, a cold smirk on his face. Sakura was living up to his expectations of her so far. As Rider, she was deadly, beautiful, strong . . . _and his,_ completely, entirely, and absolutely. He could feel her movements in the heat of the battle, he could hear her blood sing in savage joy as she trounced her foes, he could taste her sweat as she fought. . . . She was beautiful, so damned beautiful, and she belonged completely to him.

Shinji mused back to Rin Tohsaka and what might have been had she not rejected him. She could have been his queen, ruling this world at his side, but alas . . . such was no longer possible. In the meantime, he would settle for his Servant, his right hand of vengeance. He would still get what he wanted, with Sakura by his side, and absolutely no one would get in his way, not even that fool of a child.

* * *

"Get out of the car, bitch!" a rough voice shouted, belonging to a thuggish man pointing a gun through the window of a coupe belonging to a middle-aged woman.

The woman was silent but trembling as she reluctantly complied with the would-be carjacker's demand. If she had been coherent enough to think beyond immediate survival, she would have silently cracked, _That'll teach me to ask for directions in a neighborhood like this._ As a matter of fact, she was getting out of the car, the would-be carjacker training his gun on her the entire time. Once she was out, he slipped into the driver's seat.

"Why do you need my car?" the woman couldn't help but ask.

The response she got was a bullet to the chest from a psychotically offended carjacker. She fell to the street, her blood leaking onto the pavement as the carjacker drove away in her car. Behind the stolen car was the Black Pegasus, which leaped over the woman's bleeding body as it gave chase to the carjacker. The Black Pegasus gathered speed, its wheels glowing with unholy flame and its headlights ablaze with demon light.

The carjacker noticed the light that was shining on him and shouted, "Damn it, the cops!" He slammed the accelerator, going as fast as the coupe would possibly go. The Black Pegasus accelerated to match the carjacker's stolen coupe and then sped ahead of the coupe. The carjacker, though, was alert enough to notice that the beastly battle bike's rider was an impossibly attractive yet dangerous lavender-haired woman in a tight black miniskirt dress. The Black Pegasus stopped horizontally in front of the coupe, forcing the carjacker to halt or crash.

Said carjacker opted to violently eject from the coupe while the coupe accelerated to its inevitable collision. The Black Pegasus survived, completely unscratched, while the coupe crumpled upon impact with it. The carjacker rolled on the pavement, feeling several bones either cracked or broken in his self-ejection. At that moment, a graceful hand grabbed him and forcefully lifted him upright, bringing him face to face with the darkly beautiful lavender-haired woman who'd been riding the Black Pegasus.

"Oh, damned soul. Oh, wretched creature. Delivering pain and shame and misery and suffering unto others without mercy or guilt. Know now the pain you have caused, as you look into my eyes."

The purple visor covering the woman's eyes automatically unlocked and the last thought the carjacker had was, _She has really sexy eyes._ Then those eyes burned into his mind an indelible impression of agony, the very torment he had visited upon so many others in his unsightly lifestyle. The pain lit his entire nervous system on fire, and all he could do was scream, scream into the night.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it. While I have kept to many of the original details of the Fate/stay night story, in terms of the Servants' abilities, you've probably already noticed that I've twisted some of those abilities as per this A/U. As befitting her role as "Ghost Rider," Rider's Mystic Eyes have been somewhat modified to serve a more vengeance-oriented function. She'll still petrify those who look her directly in the eyes, but the only people that affects are those with great evils staining their souls. (That means Shinji better watch the hell out if Rider happens to look upon him with unshielded eyes.)

If you're wondering, Soichiro Kuzuki's relationship with Caster is pretty much the same as in the Fate/stay night canon. He is her Master, she fulfills her Servant role by mystically empowering him to fight on her behalf, and they happen to be lovers. As for Assassin and Berserker, you will see how they factor into this universe's story, along with "Ilya" and, like I promised in my opening notes, there will be other Servants and Shiro's role will be further explicated. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and thank you for reading.


	4. Lest I Become

"Fate/rider phantom"

Chapter 4: "Lest I Become"

Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of Type-Moon and Kinoko Nasu. Ghost Rider is the property of Marvel Comics. I make no money off this story and I have nothing to do with Type-Moon, Nasu, or Marvel except as a consumer.

Author's note: All right, last chapter was basically one big fight scene. I'm gonna try to tone that down with some more character interaction. Here you will meet other Servants, but not all of them will necessarily be affiliated with Shinji or Ilya. You will also see in more detail what has become of Sakura's and Shiro's lives ever since Rin's death. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me; it's time to continue the story.

* * *

"_Last night, police found 42-year-old Tsukume Aomura dead six miles south of Gakuen from a gunshot wound to the left ventricle of her heart. According to the autopsy, death was almost instantaneous. Mrs. Aomoura is survived by her husband, 53-year-old Shun Aomura, her daughter 19-year-old Rihoko Aomura, and her son 14-year-old Touma Aomura. _

"_The body of the perpetrator, 23-year-old Ryuku Daimon, was found six miles west of where Mrs. Aomura's body was located, albeit in a strange, almost petrified condition. According to police records, Daimon was a delinquent during his high school years, with his crimes escalating from truancy to disorderly conduct to armed robbery and automobile theft as he aged. Forensic scientists have no immediate way to explain or discern how Daimon was placed in his present state, although they are certain he is dead. . . ."_

There was more to the report, but the homunculus known as Shinji Matou was not concerned. He knew very well what had become of Ryuku Daimon, what became of anyone who dared stare into Rider's unshielded eyes. A chuckle of grim satisfaction escaped his lips, but he did wonder what was taking his perfect Servant so long to return to him. Had she not accomplished her mission already?

* * *

Indeed, the Servant known as Rider had found her way to a graveyard, feeling her transformation reversing. She was changing back into Sakura Matou, and the reversal of the change felt like fire running through her veins. She staggered into the graveyard, feeling her body shrinking in its height and proportions, the power retreating into some hidden place within Sakura's soul, the soul that was taking over right this moment. As the last bits of Rider gave way to Sakura, the woman-child fell in front of a grave marker with the name "Rin Tohsaka" inscribed.

The plum-haired girl didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, but a not-so-gentle foot nudge stirred her to wakefulness. She rolled over onto her side, tilting her head to look up at what appeared to be a young blonde woman with her hair tied in a bun and garbed in a black noblewoman's dress with a black corset snug around her waist. "Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"I should be asking you that question," the blonde replied almost emotionlessly. "Now, get up."

Sakura rose awkwardly to her feet, brushing the dirt off her dress. "Is this place yours?"

"No. I just haunt these grounds," the blonde replied. "You may call me Saber."

"I'm . . . Sakura . . ."

"Sakura Matou?"

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, so startled she was. "How do you know my family name?"

Saber's expression became grim. "I can feel you. As all Servants can feel each other."

"Servants?" Sakura repeated. At the mention of the word, her forehead began to burn as though someone had placed a hot poker on it. Saber moved toward her, gently parting Sakura's bangs to reveal the crimson mark of Rider.

"I see. The contract . . ."

"Contract? What contract?"

"You made the same mistake a woman named Arturia Pendragon did. You trusted the wrong person to make your dreams and wishes come true. And you will pay for it . . ." Saber's eyes narrowed. ". . . for eternity."

Sakura staggered back. "Get away from me! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Do you remember last night?" Saber asked.

"Last night . . ." Sakura repeated. Memories came to her in a whirlwind, the demonic motorcycle, the battles with Assassin, Kuzuki, and Caster, turning the Mystic Eyes of Penitence upon that carjacker . . . She staggered back further from Saber. "What . . . what did I do?"

"You'll be normal during the day," Saber explained. "But Rider will awaken within you at night and when you sense evil, she will take over."

"What's going on?!" Sakura shouted. "Tell me!"

"You know," Saber answered. "You know already. The Servant within you is the indelible mark of your contract."

"I didn't make any kind of contract!"

"You did. You just don't know you did."

Sakura ran past Saber, finding the Black Pegasus, reverted to a normal sport bike, and getting on it. She didn't know the first thing about riding motorcycles, but then she didn't need to know, she just needed to get away from this place. As though sensing her terror and angst, the motorcycle revved up automatically, riding away from the graveyard with Sakura as its passenger.

Saber watched, only to be confronted by a specter she had become quite familiar with in the last year. The specter wore a red blouse with a golden crucifix sewn into it and a black miniskirt with thigh-high black socks. Her long black hair was tied in twin pigtails and her green eyes locked on Saber's.

"_Did you have to scare her like that?"_ the spectral girl asked.

"She needs to know, Rin," Saber replied. "She needs to know the truth about Shinji."

"_That he's the Devil?"_ Rin drawled, the sarcastic edge belying her complete seriousness.

"Not quite _the_ Devil," Saber amended. "But _a_ Devil, nonetheless."

"_Do you really think Shiro can help?"_

"Yes. His heart has been true to Sakura all this time. He may very well be the key to saving Sakura from Shinji."

Rin smiled slightly.

* * *

Shiro walked down the streets of his neighborhood, thinking about Sakura. He thought about her smile, the quiet warmth in her eyes . . . so completely unlike her brother Shinji's, which were cold enough to freeze Hell. He remembered the pain in those beautiful violet eyes at Rin's funerals, the tears that were fighting to get out. He cursed himself for being so cowardly as to not approach her, too paralyzed by his own sorrow. He damned Shinji for not even having the courtesy to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, for keeping Sakura from him after the funeral.

So caught up he was in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the platinum blonde young girl he was passing until he bumped into her. The two ended up collapsing on the sidewalk, Shiro accidentally pinning the young girl. He flushed from embarrassment. "Are you all right? I'm sorry I . . ."

"I'm all right, Shiro Emiya," the little girl replied, her smiling red eyes looking into his brown eyes.

Shiro helped the little girl up, as startled as he was that she knew his name. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things," the little girl answered. "Call me Ilya."

"Ilya . . ."

"I'm on my way home. Would you like to come with me?"

Shiro was about to refuse, but Ilya looked so innocent that it was impossible to him that any harm would come of her request. ". . . Why not?"

* * *

When Sakura returned home, she placed the motorcycle in the garage and let herself in. Shinji was waiting for her, a relaxed, vaguely amused expression on his face while he leaned against the wall. His lips quirked into a slight smile as he asked her, "How was your night?"

"It . . ."

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he went on, his smile deepening into a dark smirk. "I did."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, flustered.

"I understand." His smile was almost benevolent, ruined only by the gleam in his eyes. "It was your first time . . . the first time is always a whirlwind." He sauntered closer to Sakura, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But you were beautiful . . . absolutely beautiful, my sister, my Servant . . . _my only._"

"Shinji . . ." She felt the burning sensation on her forehead again, only to be soothed by a kiss from Shinji, who shushed her gently.

"It's going to be all right, Sakura. Once our enemies are gone, we can make this world better."

"You mean I'm going to go out there again?"

"Yes. And you will go out there and fight until they are all expunged."

* * *

Elsewhere, Ilya had led Shiro to her mansion on the outskirts of Fuyuki City. It was beautiful, Shiro found, but there was something positively unnerving about the décor. Maybe it was the crucifixes that hung everywhere, both small and large, both the standard and its variants. Maybe it was the paintings of Crusaders violently and graphically clashing against each other. Maybe it was something less tangible than those images.

"Do you like it?" Ilya's voice cut in on his musings.

"Yes," Shiro replied. "It's beautiful."

Ilya beamed at Shiro. "Thank you. Now, about you . . . are there any special girls in your life?"

"Uh, I don't know what you mean?" Shiro answered bashfully.

"Silly Shiro!" Ilya giggled. "Of course you know what I mean! That pretty girl with the purple hair. Sakura, right?"

"How do you know about Sakura?" Shiro inquired, starting to get suspicious. "Are you stalking me?"

"Does that upset you?"

Shiro stared at Ilya, his eyes beginning to harden. "How do you know about Sakura?"

"Even a blind old fogy could see what that jerk Shinji's doing to her. He's no brother at all! He hurts her!"

There it was, the truth Shiro hadn't dared to speak aloud. But he _had_ known, known deep in his soul just what kind of monster Shinji was. To think of Sakura suffering in his grip filled Shiro's heart with a rage that pumped through his veins like cold fire. He looked at Ilya with a dark expression. "Even knowing that he hurts her, what can I do?"

"There is nothing _you_ can do, Shiro. But there is plenty my _Servant_ can do. Become my Servant, and I will give you the power to save Sakura."

"How? Are you some kind of witch?"

"Something like that." Ilya's smile, as cherubic as it was, took on horrifying new dimensions simply by the look in her ruby eyes. "And if I am a witch, you will be my familiar." She tilted her head. "Well?"

Shiro swallowed. He thought of Sakura, the girl who'd been his closest friend for so long, the girl he hadn't realized until almost too late that he . . . He gritted his teeth. It wouldn't be too late, not if he could help it. He still had a chance to save her, and it was being laid out in front of him like a seven-course meal. He looked Ilya in the eye, his decision made.

"I will be your familiar."

Ilya's face brightened and she looked angelic for a moment. "Good. Come with me."

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, Shiro's made his own Faustian pact here, and rather knowingly at that, whereas Sakura was pretty much tricked. Now that Shiro is bound by demonic contract to Ilya, what particular Servant will _he_ become? Those of you who've played through the _Unlimited Blade Works_ route of Fate/stay night will probably not be surprised. But what happens when the transformed Shiro and Sakura meet, and what exactly do Shinji and Ilya want with them? And just how will Saber and Rin factor into this? For the answers to those questions and others, read on and, in the meantime, let me know what you thought here.


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